Proverbs 18:13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
This passage of scripture cautions us not to be too quick to answer questions posed to us, nor should we be in a hurry to give our opinions on matters that are not yet clear to our understanding. When a situation is still clouded in doubt, and all of the facts have not yet been made plain, we should be very careful how we rush to judgment, because very serious mistakes can thus be made, and often in these situations, words are spoken, and actions are taken, that we wish we could retrieve after more light has been shed on the matter.
One such incident took place when Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, became very distressed and discouraged over the fact that she was barren and could not bear any children, even though she had tried on numerous occasions to do so, but had failed miserably, to the point where her arch-rival taunted her and vexed her poor soul from day to day. In her utter despair she turned to The lord and poured out her troubles before Him in the sanctuary where Eli was at that time ministering, but as she prayed earnestly for a miracle, only her lips moved with no sound coming out, which then appeared to Eli that she must have been drunk with fermented wine and inebriated. Let's read:
1st Samuel 1:9 So Hannah rose up" .... 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. 11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. 13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
But instead of asking her a question to ascertain the cause of her obvious dilemma, Eli spoke to her in words that showed he had already drawn his own conclusions, and thus, based on his preconceived opinions, he began administering a stern rebuke to her, warning her not to abuse alcoholic beverages any more, and it was only after the facts in the case were made known, that Eli did the right thing and prayed for her instead of prejudging her. Let's read:
1st Samuel 1:14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. 15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
Often in our own experiences as individuals and as a nation, there are instances where we rush to judgment, and say things and take actions before knowing all the facts in the case. One such example took place when the former Saddam Hussein was accused of stockpiling weapons of mass destruction, even though the research and investigations did not support this claim. As a result of rushing to judgment, and answering a matter hurriedly, we went to war, and many fatalities and disabilities and instabilities have resulted. Question: Do we now wish that we could turn back the hands of time? Do we wish now that we had not interfered with an obvious hornet's nest, that has ballooned into a major crises we do not know how to resolve? The answer is a resounding yes, and it takes us back to our text for today which warns us against making any hurried moves, or giving hasty answers when all of the facts are not yet known.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us as individuals and nations to exercise due caution and reserve in coming to conclusions, especially over matters that can have very grave consequences for ourselves and others. Let's read:
James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and doing of His every word. God bless!